Research Project to Provide Materials for Teaching Asian Music in U.S. Public Schools and Colleges. Final Report.

Curtiss, Marie Joy

Films, filmstrips, tapes, and slides of the teaching of Indian music in its cultural setting were produced for use in American schools. Performances were filmed and recorded in India; editing and synchronization were undertaken in the United States. Evaluations were informal: the films were shown in summer music courses, and the viewers, who were teachers, made anonymous responses. Their reactions were favorable, with music educators rating the films higher than non-musicians. Judgments of the music were upwards of 83% favorable for all productions. Some of the ideas that emerged from the free comments of the viewers were that films designed as teaching aids should be composed with one central idea, details should be delegated to film guides, color photography is desirable, visual variety is essential, format should vary with purpose, and length should depend upon material. All viewers agreed that the final result should be aesthetically pleasing. A tremendous need was expressed by the viewers for all kinds of musical films. Teaching guides are given in the appendices. (MF)